Miss Independent
by VampireRae
Summary: Hermione didn't want to give up her independence...but what is she going to do now that she's in love? D/Hr...plz give constructive feedback


Disclaimer: The song, "Miss Independent" belongs to Kelly Clarkson.and the characters belong to J.K. Rowling.the only thing that's mine is the plot and ideas.  
  
A/N: Okay, I'm gonna clear this up. There might be some misspelled words b/c my computer doesn't have any of the Harry Potter words in the dictionary yet. Plus I am also using the school's computers so the dictionaries suck. So please BARE with me on this okay?  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
Miss independent  
  
Miss self sufficient  
  
Miss keep your distance  
  
Miss unafraid  
  
Miss out my way  
  
Miss don't let a man interfere, no  
  
Miss on her own  
  
Miss almost grown  
  
Miss never let a man help her off her throne  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
Hermione Granger turned around to see her two best friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, running towards her.  
  
"Hey Ron. Harry." She greeted them.  
  
"Hey Hermione," Ron breathed.  
  
"Did you guys sprint all the way to me?" Hermione asked. Her friends nodded in response. "Why?" she posed.  
  
"Just catch up to you," Harry said, bending over, putting his hands on his knees.  
  
"And to see.if we could ask you a question," Ron said, grabbing his side.  
  
"You never had to ask me if you could ask me a question," Hermione said, looking at her friends. There was a pause. Hermione put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the left and said, "Well, go on. Ask me."  
  
Ron and Harry looked at each other. Hermione was getting impatient with them.  
  
"Well." Ron began.  
  
"We just wanted to know." Harry trailed off. He looked at Ron with a strange look.  
  
".if it's it true that you and."  
  
".if you and."  
  
"Who?" Hermione demanded, tapping her foot. "Guys, I have to get to the book store to get my mom a present for her birthday.so hurry up with it."  
  
"Okay," Harry said.  
  
"We just wanted to know if it's true that you and." Ron began, but then stopped short, and shuttered a little.  
  
"That you and *Malfoy* are.you know." Harry said.  
  
"That Malfoy and I are what, Harry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"They want to know if it's true that you and Malfoy are friends, Hermione," said a girl's voice behind her. Hermione turned around and saw Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister.  
  
"Oh? And why would you two care?" Hermione asked her two guy friends.  
  
"Yeah, they are worried that Malfoy might try something on you. Or even worse, that you two might hook up."  
  
"Ginny! Shut up!" Ron snapped at his sister.  
  
"What? I'm just tellin' Hermione what you two said in the car. Really Hermione, they are quite pissed that you might even *consider* being with Malfoy," Ginny said, turning to her friend.  
  
"Oh really," Hermione said, turning to her friends again. "Well, for your information, Malfoy and I are *just* friends.and only that. You two need to get that through your two *thick* skulls. He saved my life guys.I'm not gonna overlook him after he done that."  
  
Her two friends gaped at her. Did they hear her right?  
  
"But." Harry began.  
  
"I don't wanna hear it Harry," Hermione said, putting her hand up to stop him. "Besides, you don't have to worry if Malfoy and I hook up, because it will never happen. Trust me on it. I'm too independent to have a boyfriend; you should know that, Ron."  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
So, by keeping her heart protected  
  
She'd never ever feel rejected  
  
Little miss apprehensive  
  
I said, ooo, she fell in love  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
The train ride to Hogwarts was a little quiet, and a little tense. Hermione couldn't believe that Ron and Harry would think that she would ever fall for Draco. **Wait! Did I just say Draco? ** Hermione asked herself. **Maybe it just slipped.but I have been calling him Malfoy for the past five years. Even after he saved me from his insane-of-a-father! ** She shook her head and looked at her friends who were busy eating chocolate frogs and cauldron cakes. Ginny had fell asleep about ten minutes into the ride. Seamus, Dean, and Neville had stop by to have a chat, but left shortly after Ginny fell asleep. Everything had almost gotten back to normal, until *he* showed up.  
  
"How was your summer, Potty and Weasel?" the silver-blonde said.  
  
"You should be talking, Ferret-face," Ron said, calmly.  
  
Hermione could see that he gotten a little pink in his cheeks. But it wasn't from embarrassment, but from anger than Ron wasn't yelling at him, as he usually does.  
  
"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry said, without looking up.  
  
Draco looked over at Hermione and said, "What's up with your friends? Are they fresh out of insults or are they trying to be nice and civil?"  
  
Hermione looked down and said, "Oh, they just found out that we are friends. Kindda pissed off if you ask me. The can be a little immature, if I must say." Hermione gave the two boys that sat across from her, a dirty look.  
  
"Wow. That must be first." Draco said. "Well, I better go and see if can find Goyle and Crabbe. I'll see you later, Hermione." He gave her a wink, and Harry and Ron looked at Draco then at Hermione. Draco left.  
  
"What was that about?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Hermione said, turning away, feeling her cheeks grow warm.  
  
**Oh boy, I don't like this feeling! ** Hermione said to her self.  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
What is this feeling taking over  
  
Thinking no one could open the door  
  
Surprise it's time to feel what's real  
  
What happened to Miss independent  
  
No longer need to be defensive  
  
Goodbye old you when love is true  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
¤~Flashback~¤  
  
Hermione looked around. **Where am I? ** Hermione questioned herself. **It looks like I'm in one of the dungeons at school. ** She went to the door and pulled the handle. "Locked. Dammit!" She looked around, taking in the surroundings. **I've never seen this dungeon before. ** She heard footsteps getting closer.  
  
"Hello? Who's that? I'm in here!" Hermione yelled.  
  
She heard the lock click and the doorknob turn. She backed away from the door, as it opened slowly, and a man with shoulder length silver-blonde hair walked in. Lucius Malfoy. She knew him too well. He's the reason why Ginny almost died her first year at Hogwarts, and he supported Voldemort, Harry's enemy.  
  
"Miss Granger, it's so nice to see you again. What has it been? Three years since I saw you last?" Lucius said in drone. He didn't show any emotion in his face. Unlike Draco, who at least showed amusement when it comes to torment.  
  
Then she heard another pair of footsteps, only this time they were at a faster pace. She then saw Draco Malfoy run through the door.  
  
"Get away from Hermione!" Draco yelled breathlessly. Hermione was confused, but when she looked back to Lucius, and noticed that he had his wand out, pointing at her, but he was looking at his son.  
  
"Stay out of this Draco. She's the reason why you are disobeying me and the Dark Lord!" Lucius snapped at his son.  
  
"Father, I swear if you even think about hurting her, you have a thing coming to you. Not only from me but from Potter and Weasley," Draco said, heatedly.  
  
"Don't talk to me like that, Draco!" Lucius yelled. "Clearly, you can't think straight. When I found out that you told your mother that you thought you were in love with a *Mudblood*, I thought I heard wrong. But I didn't. And it so happens that the Mudblood is Miss Granger."  
  
Did Hermione hear correctly? That only reason that Lucius is holding her at wand point in a dungeon, that she never knew was in Hogwarts, was because Draco told his mother that he loved her? She didn't want to believe it.  
  
Lucius went on, "I figured that if I got rid of *her*," he said, pointing to Hermione, ".then I would have my son back."  
  
Lucius raised his wand again to Hermione, and started to mumble something that Hermione couldn't hear. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco raise his wand and the next thing she saw Lucius fall to the ground in a heap.  
  
Hermione looked up at Draco, who was looking at his father.  
  
"Is he." Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah. He's dead, Hermione. He won't ever hurt you again," Draco said, looking at her, and then he moved towards her, so he was right next to her.  
  
Hermione felt her eyes well up with tears and pulled him into an embrace; her tears just poured out. She could feel Draco's hand caressing her, and hear him whisper, "It's going to be all right." She felt this weird feeling going through her body. She couldn't be having the feeling that she loved him.  
  
¤~End Flashback~¤  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
Miss guarded heart  
  
Miss play it smart  
  
Miss if you want to use that line you better not start, no  
  
But she miscalculated  
  
She didn't want to end up jaded  
  
And this Miss decided not to miss out on true love  
  
So, by changing her misconceptions  
  
She went in a new direction  
  
And found inside she felt a connection  
  
She fell in love  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
Hermione twisted her hair around her index finger, trying her hardest to pay attention to what Professor Flitwick was teaching in Charms class. Her mind tried to focus, but her heart was somewhere else. She remembers how she felt when he touched her. How he caressed her when she began to cry. How he killed his own father to save her. When the Dumbledore found them, he didn't ask questions, but he did want to know how they were. She couldn't believe that Draco lied about what happened down in that dungeon. Hermione hasn't been down to the dungeons since then, only for Potions class.  
  
"Hermione," Ron whispered in her ear.  
  
"Hm?" Hermione answered.  
  
"The bell rang, it's lunch now," Ron said.  
  
Hermione looked at her friend and said, "Oh, okay." She wanted to thank her friend from saving her from her thoughts.of last year.of her feelings towards Draco.  
  
"Is everything all right?" Ron asked, his eyes full of apprehension.  
  
"Um, yea everything is fine.really Ron," Hermione said, promising her friend.  
  
"All right. You coming?"  
  
"Naw, I don't think so. I'm just gonna head up to the common room," Hermione said, and then said goodbye to Ron.  
  
As she was heading around a corner, she bumped into somebody, and Hermione fell to the floor. She felt a slight pain in her wrist, and her other hand grabbed it.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked a low, kind voice. Hermione shivered. She knew that voice. She slowly looked up and stared into those gray eyes. She felt her heart start to beat rapidly, and her breathing quicken. She didn't know why he had this affect on her.  
  
"Hermione? Are you all right?" he repeated.  
  
"I think so," she mumbled. She reached for her books, but he already beat her to them. He had them stacked up.  
  
"I don't know, Hermione. I think maybe you should go to the hospital wing." He knelt down and took her aching wrist in his soft hands. Hermione got goose bumps from his touch. **What is going on with me? ** Hermione asked herself. **I cant' feel this way about him! I just can't! I'm not gonna depend on a guy who saved my life last year! No way in way in hell! ** She paused from her thoughts. **Bloody hell! I am falling for him! **  
  
"I think you should have your wrist checked out," Draco said, gently touching Hermione's wrist. She pulled a little and let out a small yelp. "See what I mean? I think it might be badly sprained," Draco noted, helping her up. "I'm talking you to the Hospital wing rather you like it or not."  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
What is this feeling taking over  
  
Thinking no one could open the door  
  
Surprise it's time to feel what's real  
  
What happened to Miss independent  
  
No longer need to be defensive  
  
Goodbye old you when love is true  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
Harry looked up from the table he was working at. He wondered where Hermione have been the past three hours. He didn't see her at dinner, or after Charms. He was beginning to worry. He set down his quill and got up from the table. Just then, Hermione walked into the common room, and he noticed her wrist was bandaged.  
  
"What happened?" Harry asked concerned.  
  
Hermione looked down at her wrist and said, "Oh, nothing. Just had a little run in with someone."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Just Draco, no big deal." Hermione moved towards the stairs, but Harry blocked her way.  
  
"It was his fault?" Harry asked.  
  
"No, mine. I was the one that ran around the corner," Hermione said defensively.  
  
"Did he say anything to you?"  
  
"Harry, drop it. I'm fine, and it wasn't Draco's fault. I'm telling you, he has changed since last year. Harry, he's not the ruthless, heartless git that you and Ron make him to be." Hermione said angrily.  
  
"Calm down Hermione," Harry said.  
  
"Harry, back off. Okay? I love him!" Hermione yelled.  
  
Harry stared after his friend, as he watched her run up the stairs, shocked. Did he hear right that one of his best friends had fell in love with his enemy?  
  
Hermione didn't know what was happening. How could she be having these feelings for Draco? Harry and Ron are gonna kill both of them. Especially Ron. She thought that no one could make her feel this way like Draco did. She knew this feeling was real. She knew that it was time that her and Draco finally got together.  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
When Miss independent walked away  
  
No time for love that came her way  
  
She looked in the mirror and thought today  
  
What happened to Miss no longer afraid  
  
It took some for her to see  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
¤~Flashback~¤  
  
"Ron, I can't love you," Hermione said, averting her eyes so they didn't meet Ron's.  
  
"What? Why Hermione?" Ron pleaded.  
  
"Ron, just understand it, okay? I just can't love you. I just don't think we could ever be more than friends."  
  
"You just wanna be friends?"  
  
Hermione looked up into Ron's blue eyes. She could see the hurt and pain in them. Her mother told her never to treat someone the way you don't wanted to be treated. How could she let go of Ron in a painless way?  
  
"Ron, you and Harry are like brothers to me. You two look out for me, and do 'what's best' for me. I just can't love you more than that."  
  
"But, Hermione."  
  
"No buts Ron. I just can't okay? There is nothing I can do. We have one more year left of school. Who knows what we are gonna do now. I mean, I probably work with the Ministry, but you.you probably won't because that's all you say you will do."  
  
"Hermione, that's not a reason."  
  
"Yes it is. I'm sorry Ron. I'm just too independent right now to even believe being in love with anyone." With that, Hermione ran up to her dormitory, leaving a broken heart behind.  
  
~¤~End Flashback~¤~  
  
Hermione sighed. **What was I thinking?** she thought. **How could I have done that to Ron? He truly did love me. I just was scared to love him back and give up my independence.** "God, Hermione, you are so stupid!"  
  
"Since when is Hermione Granger stupid?"  
  
"Lavender! Good Lord, girl. You almost gave me a heart attack!"  
  
"Sorry, Hermione," said Lavender, walking over to her bed and sitting down. "So why are you so stupid?"  
  
"Oh nothing," Hermione said, giving a nervous laugh and a fake smile.  
  
"Oh, c'mon. You aren't still mad that Ron and I are together do you?"  
  
"NO! Lavender, I'm completely ok with it. It never bothered me!"  
  
"Oh, okay. So what is it then?"  
  
Hermione thought for a moment then said, "Lav, how do you *stop* falling in love with someone?"  
  
Lavender gaped at her friend. "*STOP* falling in love with someone? Oh my word! Hermione, are you serious? Falling in love with someone is amazing, why do you want to *stop* falling in love with someone?"  
  
"Because it's Draco," Hermione answered.  
  
"Oh. But Hermione, everyone had their bets on you two hooking up! I mean, opposites *do* attrack. Anyways, it's obvious he's crazy about you! I over heard Pansy complaining to her little friends that *you* is all that Draco talks about!"  
  
"Me? Really. How come everyone knows, except me?"  
  
"Well, Harry and Ron *refuse* to accept it, and *refuse* to even *consider* it. I mean.Hermione, have you ever seen Draco look at you at dinner?" Hermione shook her head. "Well, he never gives a loathing glance your way, unless Ron and Harry are around.actually only when they talk to you."  
  
"So, you're saying that I *shouldn't* consider about falling out of love with Draco?"  
  
Lavender shook her head. "Yes. Hermione, if you, a Gryffindor, starts to date a *Slytherin* then maybe it would surmount the whole loathing thing between the two houses."  
  
Hermione gaped at Lavender. **This is the smartest thing that Lavender said.**  
  
"Oh Lavender!" Hermione hugged her friend, "Thanks so much! I needed this!"  
  
She ran out of the dormitory and down the stairs.  
  
"What? I didn't say anything persuasive yet!" Lavender called after Hermione.  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
How beautiful love could truly be  
  
No more talk of why can't that be me  
  
I'm so glad I finally see.  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
"Draco, we need to talk," Hermione said, softly touching Draco's arm.  
  
Draco looked at her and smiled. "Sure thing," he said. He grabbed her hand and they both turned to walk towards the library. "So what is it?"  
  
Hermione looked into his steel gray eyes. She never noticed how beautiful they really were.  
  
"Hermione? What do you need to talk to me about?" Draco looked at her.  
  
"Um," Hermione paused, "C'mon over here." She dragged Draco over to a spot in the library that she knew no one ever used. She looked down at the ground thought for a moment, and then said, "Draco, where do we stand?"  
  
"In the library?" He smirked at his comment.  
  
"No, where do we stand as on a relationship scale. Like, are we just friends, acquaintances.what?"  
  
"Why type of question is that?"  
  
"Just answer it, please," Hermione begged. Then her heart took over mind, which was keeping her cool. She couldn't help but notice how his silver- blond hair looked sexy in the messed up look. She never noticed that his soft black turtleneck gripped to his well-built body.  
  
"Hermione, where is this going?" Draco asked.  
  
"Somewhere I hope," Hermione mumbled. "Draco, I really don't know how to put things into logic." Draco snorted. "About stuff like this."  
  
"Like, what?" Draco asked.  
  
"Um," Hermione said, bit her lower lip.  
  
"Do you always bite your lip when you're thinking?"  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Well, you kindda do it all the time in Potions and Charms." Draco smiled.  
  
Hermione laughed a little. **He's so darn cute, ** she thought. "Okay, you got me. Never knew you watched me like that. Even Harry and Ron don't know I bite my lip when I'm pondering. Anyways, Draco, I just wanna know if we are."  
  
"More than friends?" Draco asked. Hermione looked up at him. **Since when was he a mind reader?** she thought.  
  
She forced a smile and said, "Er ---- well, I wasn't really going that way, but."  
  
Draco cut her off, "Hermione." He stepped closer to her, and too his surprise she didn't step back. "Hermione, you got me now."  
  
Hermione looked up into his steel colored eyes and smiled. Draco leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. Hermione could feel this sensation go through her whole body, nothing like what she felt when Ron kissed her. She felt Draco's hands on the small of her back and the back of her neck. Hermione usually doesn't like to draw attention to her, but she didn't care who saw her with Draco. She waited forever to kiss him, and she wasn't going to stop it either.  
  
When they broke apart they were both breathless. She never kissed anyone like that, not even Ron. And Ron never kissed her like that either. She smiled at Draco and he smiled back.  
  
"Wow," Hermione said.  
  
"That's all you can say? Hm, I think I better brush up on my moves," Draco said, smiling playfully.  
  
Hermione laughed. She couldn't believe how real he was being in front of her...in front of student body.  
  
"Draco, I have other things to say, but I don't really know how to say them."  
  
"Say them. Say them like they are in you head. It can't hurt."  
  
"Well," Hermione said, taking Draco's hand in her's. They walked down the corridor holding hands.  
  
"Remember last year?"  
  
"Try to forget it, but now that you brought it up, yea I remember that. Why?" Draco stopped and looked at Hermione. She looked up in his eyes.  
  
"You know, I should stop looking in your eyes. I seem to always say the wrong things."  
  
"Hmm...Afraid to say something that you might regret?"  
  
"Yes, but anyways, you remember when Lucius..." she paused, it was the first time she said that since that night.  
  
"Almost killed you? Yeah I remember," Draco said.  
  
"No, not really. More like when he said that you told your mother that you loved..." she trailed off.  
  
"You?" Draco finished her.  
  
Hermione looked away, feel her cheeks grow red. "Yeah."  
  
"What about it?" Draco paused, then added, "Oh, you wanted to know if it was really the truth." Hermione looked at him. "Hermione, the truth is...I *do* love you." He leaned in and kissed her forehead.  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
What is this feeling taking over  
  
Thinking no one could open the door  
  
Surprise it's time to feel what's real  
  
What happened to Miss independent  
  
No longer need to be defensive  
  
Goodbye old you when love is true  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
Ron and Harry looked up from their game of wizard chess to see Hermione walked towards them, with a huge smile on her face.  
  
"I don't like it when she's smiling," Ron said to Harry in a low voice.  
  
"Oh, Ron, hush!" Harry said.  
  
"Hey guys!" Hermione said happily.  
  
"Hey Hermione," Harry said, looking back at the game.  
  
"Knight to E-5," Hermione said, and Harry's Knight took Ron's Queen.  
  
"Bloody hell! Hermione, I thought you said that this game was barbaric?"  
  
"It is, but I know Harry would never win against you with out some help."  
  
"Thanks Hermione," Harry said, sarcastically.  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
It was Ginny.  
  
"Yeah?" Hermione said.  
  
"Is it true?! Is it true that you and Malfoy are a couple?!"  
  
Hermione smiled, and laughed weakly. "Yeah, Ginny, we are."  
  
"You two are a what?!" Ron and Harry said together.  
  
"We. Are. A. Couple." Hermione said slowly. She grinned at the look on her best friends' faces.  
  
"Whoa. Wha...what. Since when?" Harry stuttered.  
  
"Since like ten minutes ago!" Ginny said.  
  
"Oh Ginny! You *were* spying on us!" Hermione said, shoving her friend.  
  
"What? You two were in the next row in the library. Like I couldn't help *over*hearing one what you two were saying. *OR* doing!"  
  
"Ginny! You are so dead!" Hermione said chasing her friend up to the girls' dormitories.  
  
"Harry, I think we totally missed something here," Ron said.  
  
"Yeah, we did."  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~*  
  
What is this feeling taking over  
  
Thinking no one could open the door  
  
Surprise it's time to feel what's real  
  
What happened to Miss independent  
  
No longer need to be defensive  
  
Goodbye old you when love is true  
  
*~^~*~^~*~^~* 


End file.
